Waiting for time to start
by MissyEvil
Summary: "If a clock would count down to the exact moment you meet your soul mate, would you want to know?" Based on the movie 'Timer'. This is Swan Queen and totally AU.
1. Chapter 1

**okay I know that I definitely should not start another multichapter because hell I'm so behind with constant reminders and Jane and Emma's big plan but man I just saw this movie and had to make a swan queen story out of it. **

**the movie's called Timer and I think this chapter will tell you most of what it's about. You can watch it of course and though I am doing some thing differently than the movie, it might spoil some elements of this story for you. **

**This is AU. There's no curse and no magic. there is Henry though, just not in this chapter yet. Emma and Regina are both doctors because yes I love that. However, I am not a doctor and all my knowlegde is coming from grey's anatomy. So... don't be disappointed if some shit is just really unreal. Trying to be as good as I can be. **

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: i don't own ouat or the characters.**

**p.s i know this chapter is really short, I just wanna know some first reactions to see if I should continue :) I promise it will get really awesome.**

* * *

_ " if a clock would count down to the exact moment you meet your soul mate, would you want to know?"_

- Timer, the movie

* * *

Regina Mills pushes herself upright into her bed. Her hand shoots up to her head, it's still throbbing. She wonders if she should stay in but then remembers that she has a busy schedule today. She can't stay in bed. She sighs deeply and automatically her eyes cast downward to her wrist. She pushed the silk of her pajama out of the way and her eyes fall on the timer that is imbedded in her flesh.

Days 0000 Hours 00 Minutes 00 Seconds 00

She sighs. Still nothing. She throws the covers away and steps out of bed to open the curtains. It's still a bit dark outside. She loves winters but she hates that the dark mornings. When she walks in her kitchen the voice of the radio disturbs her quiet morning.

"Are you tired of sitting around waiting for love? Your days of watching and wondering are over. Say goodbye to heartache and disappointment. Now you can be on the clock – true love on a schedule. Introducing the TiMER, a revolutionary device that tells you not only who your soul mate is, but when you'll meet them."

She turns it off.

Half an hour later the doorbell rings. She rolls her eyes because yes, he's late once more.

"Hello."

"Hi. Am I late?" He asks with a look on his face as if he's expecting her to slap him.

She chuckles. "Yes, five minutes but who's counting."

He laughs then. "Well…we are, right?"

"Yes I guess you could say that."

He pushed forward then and kisses her hard, taking her by surprise. "Good morning to you too." She says, smiling lightly.

"Sorry. I guess I'm a little nervous."

"It's okay. Me too." She says. It's a lie because really she's done this so many times now, but Graham hasn't and she doesn't want to make him feel bad.

"So… should we go?" He asks carefully and she nods.

"Yes. Let's go."

"Regina! Welcome back! Another potential?"

" Yes, hello matchmaker Patty." Regina says with a short nod of her head. She never liked that woman, way too happy. She has to be a secret serial killer because Regina is sure that no one can be _that _happy all of the time.

"Let's go them! Are you ready sir?"

Regina elbows Graham and finally his attention snaps back to the conversation. "Yes sorry. I'm ready."

Patty looks at her as if she _knows_, but she's not going to tell Regina that this might be a waste because even she knows that you can't argue with the fierce woman.

Later, when Graham's lying on the hospital like bed and Regina's squeezing his hand she feels sort of sorry for the man. She may have exaggerated about her feelings for him. Sure, she felt something for the man but it was nothing close to the word love. But then she remembers her father saying that sometimes you don't love each other right away, it can come later.

"It will only hurt for a second. It's like getting your ears pierced."

Graham frowns. " I don't really know how that feels."

" Right." Patty says, a frown on her face.

" Let's just get this over with." Regina says and everybody agrees.

"Yeah, okay so you know how this works right? If you two are meant for each other they will both start beeping. If you're not then yours will show you how much time you have left or it will stay blank like Regina's if your soul mate doesn't have one."

Graham nods. A click and a hiss later, and the little machine is pierced in Graham's wrist. He hold up his hand and Regina and Patty are both leaning over, waiting for something to happen.

Then it bleeps, just once.

Days 0032 Hours 8 Minutes 59 Seconds 59

Regina lets go of his other hand that she had been holding.

"Maybe the next one?" Patty tries but Regina's already out of the door.

She's actually surprised that Graham has followed her, but then he's touching her shoulder and forcing her to face him.

"For what it's worth, I'm really sorry. I really did like you, Regina."

She smiles. "It's not your fault."

"So… do you still want to like hang out or something?"

She shakes her head then. " No. I think it's better if we part ways here."

" Because of the timer?"

She wants to say no, but he's right. She doesn't hang out with people who have a timer. It's a guarantee for heartache and she knows it. Eventually they will find their true love and she'll be left alone. After Daniel she promised herself that would never happen again. She now only focuses on man without timers.

" Yes."

She turns and walks away.

* * *

It's around twelve when she's on her way to work and calls one of her best friends.

" Kathryn." She woman whispers into the phone and Regina can't help but smile.

" Hello there dear. Why are you whispering?"

For a moment it stays silent except for the sound of sheets shifting. Regina knows her friend and she's damn well aware of where she is right now.

" Uh.. I'm in church."

She laughs out loud then.

" Right. Call me when you find your underwear, and remember you need to be in by three today. Try not the be too hung-over okay."

" Will do."

She hangs up with a smile on her face. Kathryn truly is her best friend and she likes how crazy she can get. She knows, however, that the reason for Kathryn's behavior is far from funny. She doesn't know the exact numbers but she knows that her friend still has over 5000 days left on her timer. She'd be depressed too if she knew that.

She arrives at the hospital a little late and finds all her interns already waiting for her. She quickly changes into her scrubs and then walks towards the group young doctors.

" Hello everybody. I will be your attendance for today, I'm doctor Mills, head of cardio."

She smiles at the group standing before her. She hasn't seen this group before, mostly because she doesn't allow many interns around her because it annoys her but also because they're pretty new to the hospital.

"I cannot promise I'll remember your names but I'll try. Ruby Lucas."

A brunette with way too much make-up and blood red lips shot up her hand. " Me."

Regina saw her stomach when she held up her hand. "Miss Lucas I suggest you go downstairs and write down your actual clothing size we wouldn't want people walking around half naked."

She actually pouts at that and it almost makes her laugh. Almost. But then she remembers who these people are and she has a job to do.

"Okay… next one. Mary-Margaret Blanchard." A short brunette walks to the front of the group.

"That's me!" Her voice is so high that it could be heard by dogs and that smile on her face is just so annoying. Regina already can't stand her.

Without saying another word she calls out for the next person. " David… Nolan." A charming young men smiles broadly at her and she almost throws up. What is it with these people.

Luckily for her it's a small group and she's already looking at the last name. "Emma. Emma Swan?" she says but only then realizes there are only three people standing before her.

" Where is she?" she says, her voice disapproving.

Ruby shrugs. " She was just here."

Suddenly a running blonde storms towards the group and stops right in front of her, panting. She's seen this girl before she notices. She was the girl who kept staring at her. " Sorry. I'm sorry Regina."

" Doctor Mills."

" Yeah I know that, Doc. I had to pee really bad."

When Emma is standing in front of her, her eyes automatically shift downward to her wrist. Unfortunately, Emma's white coat is covering the area and she can't see it. When her eyes land on the blonde's face again, she's looking at her with an eyebrow raised in a seductive way. She rolls her eyes and shoots her a cold look.

" Okay, the time for fun is over. Today you'll be with me which means lots and lots of patients, long hours and maybe just maybe, a surgery that would actually teach you something instead of all the other activities you've been doing."

She hears the enthusiastic talking behind her but doesn't turn around.

"Stanley Lewis. Forty-six year old man here for a new heart. He's been on the list for quite some time and it seems like we've finally found a suitable donor. If all goes well he should have the surgery tonight. Doctor Swan."

The blonde looks surprised but when Regina widens her eyes she catches up. " BP is 120 over 80 and heart rate is 80 which is a bit low."

" Is he stable enough to go into surgery, Doctor Nolan?"

"Yes."

" Very well, you've heard it Stanley."

The man smiles broadly at all of them and when he reaches out his hand Regina quickly grabs it and squeezes. It's so easy to connect with her patients because she knows that they won't be in her life forever.

" Thank you so much."

Regina smiles. " Don't thank me yet. Do it tomorrow, when you have your new heart."

* * *

Regina gives her interns instructions for rounds when she sees Kathryn walking through the doors of the hospital. She quickly walks to her friend to help her.

" Are you okay?"

The woman closes her eyes when they meet the bright hospital light. " Peachy."

"Come on, let's get you sober enough to function. Lots of kids will need your attention today."

She knows that Kathryn shouldn't go out and drink as much as she does, but as long as it doesn't affect her work Regina is not going to say anything.

She forces one of Kathryn's arms around her and tries to get the other woman to lean on her. She's heavy though, and not really cooperating. Her body has trouble getting the younger woman moving.

"Doctor Midas?" A voice says and Regina immediately recognizes it.

"Emma!" Kathryn says as the blonde steps around to face the pair.

"You two know each other?" Regina asks, looking between the two of them.

"Yeah of course, Emma's my girl!" The older blonde says as she uses her free arm to pull Emma in. The young doctor, caught off guard, falls forward into the two and her hand reflexively tries to balance herself using Regina's body.

The brunette shivers at the touch and forces herself to stay still.

" Sorry." Emma says when she pulls away. " Let me take her." She points to Kathryn but Regina shakes her head.

" I'm fine, Miss Swan."

Emma pouts and it's almost adorable. " I thought it was doctor."

"I don't see you fixing any people."

" touché." Emma says but still gently pushes Regina away, taking Kathryn's body on her own. She immediately walks them towards one of the patient rooms.

Regina stands there, mouth wide open, wondering how Emma got that strong. Was it normal that she suddenly felt the urge to attack the young girl and search for a timer and to pray like hell that she didn't?

Probably not.

* * *

**what do you think? should I continue?**

**EDIT: If you didn't understand. Regina's timer has zeroes because her 'one' doesn't have a timer yet. you both need timers in order for it to work. That's also why she and graham go get one, she wants to know if Graham is her true love. When his showed 32 days it was obvious he doesn't belong to her. **

**hope you understand! If there are more questions please ask :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**hey there! sorry this took me a while :) It's not the best chapter I've ever written (mostly because I'm struggeling with the whole hospital thing I guess) but I still hope you guys like it. Also, I know it's a bit confusing but things should be better to understand now haha ;)**

**Thanks for the many reviews/follows and all! **

**Hope you enjoy,**

**xx**

* * *

To be honest, Emma Swan's muscles were already hurting like hell. They practically screamed from the pain, but she ignored it. She ignored how badly she wanted to just drag Kathryn to the room instead of carrying her like she is now.

But she doesn't. She doesn't because she feels those dark eyes on her back and that makes her smile and it makes carrying the doctor just a bit easier.

"Are you sure she's not too heavy? I could assist you." Regina says but Emma is already shaking her head.

"No. It's fine." She's not about to admit that she's weak in front of Regina freaking Mills for god's sake.

Truth is, Emma has had a crush on Regina for weeks. Every since she came to the hospital she's been watching the beautiful woman, hoping that she'd get a chance to work with her. Today that day is finally here and though she doesn't want to come over as a stalker or anything she can't help but want to run after Regina the entire day.

Her life may be pretty messed up right now but at least she has this, she has her job and she has this… person that she can stare at all day.

"You can put her down now." Regina speaks up and suddenly Emma snaps from her thought.

"Oh right."

Regina watches the woman carefully lower Kathryn in a chair. The older blonde is pretty much passed out now and though it shouldn't be funny at all, she can't help but let her lips tilt upward in a smile.

"What do we do now?" Emma asks quite helplessly.

"You're a doctor, Miss Swan. You should know."

The blonde rolls her eyes then, does this woman have to be so serious all of the time.

"Well right now I'm helping a friend and asking you, as a friend, for help."

Regina frowns. "Who says we're friends. We don't know each other Miss Swan. All I know about you is that you're blonde, stubborn and you don't listen to rules."

Emma slowly nods her head. "I guess that pretty much sums me up." She chuckles.

The brunette notices the lack of teasing in Emma's voice and just for a second, the blonde's eyes harden. She wonders what is the cause for Emma's pain but she's not about to ask. She shouldn't even be interested for god sake. What is wrong with her.

"Get an IV with salt water." She orders. This time Emma doesn't protest or say anything.

She hears the footsteps slowly disappearing and grabs a chair to sit in front of Kathryn. She sighs deeply looking at her friend who seems to be experiencing a very bad headache.

"Who was it time this?" Regina asks and Kathryn shrugs.

"Just some guy from the bar."

"Timer?"

Kathryn shakes her head. Regina knows that her friend prefers guys without a timer. Something about them not being so focused on the future.

"You have to stop doing this."

Kathryn huffs. "It's not like I'm going to meet my 'one' any time soon." She sticks up her hand and holds it up in the air, gesturing towards her timer.

Regina starts to roll her eyes because they've had this conversation so many times before, but right when she wants to do so, the door is pushed open and Emma Swan enters the room.

The blonde's eyes land on the doctor's hand and widen immediately. "Wow. That sucks."

"Doctor." Regina hisses immediately but Kathryn bursts out into laughter.

Emma smiles because she's not sure she's ever experienced anything weirder than this at the hospital and well.. some really weird stuff happens around here.

"I'm sorry."

Kathryn brushes her off and watches and Emma carefully attaches the IV to her arm. "Do you have a timer?" she whispers. It's useless though, because Regina can still hear them and there's no one else around.

Emma looks up to the blonde doctor and then to Regina, who looks uninterested. She shrugs and smiles, rolling up her sleeve and showing her timer to the woman. "Yeah I do. 4 months on the clock."

Kathryn smiles at her but even the blonde can see it's not an honest one. "That's great for you!"

She feels Regina's eyes burning on her back and shrugs. "I guess so yeah."

When she turns around and faces the beautiful brunette she notices that the woman seems to be deep in thoughts. She smiles hesitantly and is surprised to see that the brunette smiles back at her.

"Well.. we've got work to do. Doctor Swan if you would be so kind to follow me. Kathryn you stay right here, I'll be back in half an hour. "

Emma follow Regina out of the room like a lost puppy.

"Where are we going?" Emma asks but Regina doesn't answer. Instead she just walks through the familiar walls until they reach an on-call room. She frowns but doesn't protest when Regina pushes her inside.

"What are you doing?" She asks.

Regina places both her hands on her hips and stares at the woman. "I don't understand."

"You don't understand what?"

"I don't see how you can flirt with me when you have only four months left on your timer."

Emma blushes because she hadn't realized it had been that obvious. "Maybe I don't believe in it."

Now it's Regina's time to be confused. "Then why, Miss Swan, do you have one?"

The blonde shrugs and takes a few steps away from Regina, the proximity makes her a bit uncomfortable.

"I believe that it works, yes, but I just don't believe that we're just supposed to wait till it's time and then walk into the sunset with someone we just met. People are so focused on their future that they forget their present. For me, that seems pretty fucked up."

Regina coughs. "Language."

The young doctor rolls her eyes. "But again, then why have a timer."

"Because I got sick of people asking me why I don't have one."

Regina suddenly feels a bit ashamed of herself. Maybe she shouldn't have asked, this is personal after all, and she barely knows the woman standing a few feet from her.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

Emma smiles. "No it's okay."

Regina opens her mouth to say something else but she's stopped by the sudden beeping of both their pager's. They look at each other for a second before running out of the room and to the trauma hall as fast as possible. Emma beats her to it and storms towards the group of nurses bringing in the new victim.

"What have we got?" Emma asks, seeing that Regina is finally by her side.

"seventeen year old female, GSW to the chest. Pulse is weak and she's lost a lot of blood." Regina directs the men to follow her to one of the trauma rooms. "What happened?" Regina yells above the loud noises coming from the room. "We don't know. Someone found her on the street." The brunette shakes her head. This shouldn't happen anymore.

"Doctor Swan!" She says loud and the blonde immediately follows them. Is Regina really letting her help with such a difficult case. "I want you to page Doctor Whale for me and tell him to do the surgery on Stanley, then page Doctor Walker and get me two sacks of o-negative."

She rolls her eyes. Obviously. It seems like Regina has noticed it because she looks up and stares right at Emma for just a moment. "Hey, if you do it fast, maybe I'll let you scrub in on the surgery."

Within a second Emma is out of the room.

* * *

Regina does keep her promise. Not that much later Emma is standing in an OR filled with nurses, doctors and .. herself.

She's never actually seen a heart surgery from this close and even doing just suction seems incredible right now. Regina is sure to explain everything that she's doing. Apparently the girl got lucky, the bullet just missed her aorta. If everything goes as planned she should be alright.

"What do you think happened to her?" Emma asks the doctor standing in front of her.

"Suction." Regina says before answering the question. "Most of the times it's abuse, or neglect. These girls have no home, no parents and most of them are on drugs."

Emma's eyes darken a bit and the brunette notices right away. "Are you quite alright?"

"Yes I'm fine." It's cold and nothing like her usual way of talking but Regina decides not to push it further for now.

"Do we know anything about her?"

"Not that I know of but I think that the police will be waiting when she's done and they'll know more."

"Then what happens to her, they're just going to put her back on the street?" Emma says a bit angrily.

"Miss Swan, what happens to her isn't our concern. Our concern is to make sure she gets out of this room alive. Please focus on your actual job or leave my OR."

The blonde desperately wants to argue with her, but missing this opportunity will cost her much. So instead of opening her mouth she just stays quiet for the rest of the surgery and watches the brunette do her work.

* * *

"I heard she tried to throw something at Doctor Adams!"

"Seriously?"

"Well I heard that she's not saying anything. Just keeps quiet, the whole time."

Emma recognizes those voices and she's also pretty sure who they're talking about.

"Guys!" She says as she walks over to her three friends standing outside the room of their seventeen year old patient. It's a few hours after the surgery and she's already up and throwing things, that can't be good.

"Em!" Ruby says. "How did you get yourself into that surgery?"

"Yeah, we're all very jealous." David joins his friend.

Emma smiles. "Sorry guys, I guess I was just around at the time."

Neither of them look like they believe it but instead of continuing on with the subject they all stare at the closed door.

"So they know nothing yet?"

Mary Margaret shakes her head. "No. She won't tell the police anything."

"Has Re- Doctor Mills come to check on her already?"

"Yeah, but she won't talk to her either. Doctor Mills went to check on Stanley but she should be back right about-"

At that exact moment the older doctor joins the group of interns. "now." Mary Margaret finishes.

"Why are you all standing here, didn't I tell you to do rounds."

Within a second Mary-Margaret, Ruby and David were gone, running off into different corners of the hospital.

"What are you doing here, Doctor?" Regina asks Emma who's still standing awkwardly outside of the room of their patient.

Emma looks down at her feet and shifts uncomfortably. "I was thinking, would it be okay if I went in and tried to talk to her."

Regina laughs dryly. "Why? You think that she's going to listen to a pretty doctor with blonde hair."

"First of all thank you for calling me pretty but no, I think I can make her tell us what happened."

The look on Emma's face looks a lot like the one that Regina had seen during surgery. Something happened to Emma. Without even realizing it herself she nods. "Okay fine, but I need to come with you."

The blonde doesn't seem very pleased with that but just nods anyway.

Emma carefully opens the door, making sure that she doesn't make too many sudden noises that could scare the girl. "Hey." She says softly as she notices the girls' eyes on her. "I'm Emma and this is Regina."

She points to the woman who has now taken a seat. She's sure Regina doesn't like her using her first name but she'll just have to suck it up for now.

"I was just going to have a little chat with you, if that's okay."

She takes one of the chair and shifts it just a bit closer to the girl. It's next to her bed now, but Emma is not close enough to actually reach out for her.

"First I want to tell you that you're going to be just fine. The surgery went really good and there was no real damage."

Emma's eyes scanned the girls face. There were cuts and bruises all over it and she looked really thin. A painful ache clutched at her chest. She doesn't even have to ask what happened, it's written all over her face.

"Now I know that this is all really scary. We're all a bunch of people in white coats telling you things you can't understand and you're just supposed to trust us."

Finally the girl looked at her and Emma was glad she was getting somewhere.

"What I also know is that some lady probably already has come into your room and told you that they're going to take you to another center, that this won't happen again, that the people are better there."

She pauses to look at Regina who's showing her a small smile. It's enough to pull the strength together to continue.

"You and I both know that's not true."

Something changes in the girls' beautiful blue eyes and Emma knows that she's starting to trust her.

"When they put you back there, it won't be better and you'll run away again and this will happen again, and it won't end the same way next time."

Emma knows that what she looking at is an exact copy of herself a few years ago. She knows that the girl doesn't need anybody touching her right now, telling her it will be better next time because it never is. She's glad she's out herself and she can't help but want to give this girl the same thing.

"I can offer you a room in my home till I find you a good place to stay."

"Emma-" Regina starts but Emma just holds up her hand to stop her.

"Look, I never knew my parents and they practically left nothing for me, except this really big house which has way too many rooms for me. My three friends are already living there but if you want you can have the other room until you're eighteen."

The girls' eyes widen and she looks at Emma as if she's her own personal savior. Tears stream down her cheeks and it takes everything for Emma not to reach out and hold her hand.

"Why are you helping me?"

The girl asks then.

"Because just a few years ago, I was the one lying on that bed you're in and all I wanted was for someone to come up to me and tell me what I just told you."

Without even thinking about it, Regina finds herself shifting closer until she can place a hand over one of Emma's.


End file.
